1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to brake control valve devices for railway cars and more particularly to means adapted to such brake control valve devices for directly accessing fluid lines and conducting a series of evaluative pressure manipulations thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical freight control valves such as the ABD, ABDW, DB-60 and ABDX control valves, are comprised of a pipe bracket portion having a service portion and an emergency portion mounted on opposite sides or faces of the pipe bracket. Such a typical control valve assembly is shown in prior art diagrammatic FIG. 1. Typically, a third side, the rear, of the pipe bracket portion has a number of connections for connecting the pipe bracket portion to piping of the freight car. These connections typically include connections to the brake pipe, the brake cylinder retaining valve, the brake cylinder, the emergency reservoir and the auxiliary reservoir. The connections to the brake pipe, the brake cylinder retaining valve, the brake cylinder, the emergency reservoir and the auxiliary reservoir are each respectively connected to a fluid passageway within the pipe bracket portion. The pipe bracket passageways connected to these pneumatic pipes permits the pipe bracket to provide the necessary communication of pressures to both the service and emergency valve portions.
Currently, when it is desired to test a freight brake control valve, the prior art testing device is attached at one end directly to the brake pipe and at an opposite end to a pressurized air source, such as a compressor. By rotating a rotary valve through various positions, brake operation is simulated. For example, while charging the brake pipe line with the pressurized air source, the rotary valve may be positioned so that the pressurized air must travel through a relatively narrow orifice, thus representing slow charging. The rotary valve could also be rotated so that the pressurized air flows through a wider orifice, thus representing quick charging. A lap position of the rotary valve may also be selected in which there is no orifice, thus sealing the brake pipe so that the brake pipe may be tested for leakage. The rotary valve may also be indexed through several application settings in which air is allowed to leave the brake pipe through varying sized passages, thus representing various degrees of brake application.
The prior art testing device is equipped with a pressure gauge and a flowmeter. The prior art testing device thus enabled several testing options, which included visually watching the brake cylinder for operation, timing the various brake applications manually (i.e., through a stop watch) and detecting leakage by monitoring the flowmeter.
Prior art tests accessed only one channel, the brake pipe channel in which brake pipe pressure is manipulated and the response to the control valve is monitored. In the prior art, the pressures in remaining channels are unknown.
Thus, it can be seen that the prior art on car testing means is limited and consuming. Therefore, an automatic on car testing means is needed.